Electromagnet positioning device



Aug. 17, 1948. w. KELLY nwcmomema'r POSITIONING manor:

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24, 1945 INVENTOR. #M w, Luz,

Aug. 17, 1948. w. KELLY mmcmommum rosmxonme DEVICE 3 Shets-Sheec 2 v INVENTOR. W (U. BY

Filed Jan. 24, 1945 Patented Aug. 17, 1948 2,447,343 ELECTROMAGNET POSITIONING DEVICE Herbert W. Kelly, Chicago, 111., allignor to Meehanite Metal Corporation Application January 24, 1945, Serial No. 574,383

6' Claims. (Cl. 294-42) My invention relates in general to the positioning of a swivel crane hook for facilitating the handling during the hooking and unhooking of loads.

It is one of the objects of my invention to enable the crane operator while at the controls to position the hook for hooking or unhooking a load.

' It is also an object of my invention to make a circular electromagnet which moves a hook through a predetermined angle every time the switch is closed.

Another object of my invention is to make it possible for the operator to turn to, or hold in, a desired position the hook or a load suspended therefrom.

A further object of the device is to provide an electromagnetic means for rotating objects, the rotation being controlled from a remote place.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conJunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of my invention showing the relation of the parts to the crane;

Figure 2 shows the circuit diagram of my invention, illustrating a field having six pole regions; and

Figure 3 shows a modification of Figure 2.

With reference to the drawings, my invention comprises, in general, a swivel crane hook iii, an armature ii fastened to the crane hook iii, a magnetic field I 2 surrounding the armature and having annularly spaced electromagnetic members i! 'to 24 inclusive, arranged to b controlled by circuit switching means in a control box 26 mounted in the operator's cabin.

The crane hook I is swivelly suspended from the pulley housing 21. The hook is actuated for raising or lowering a load by means of a cable 23. Also fastened to this pulley housing 21 is a magnetic field support or housing 23. The housing 29 both supports the electromagnetic members I! to 24 inclusive, and provides a shield against physical damage around the electromagnetic members and the armature, The housing may be made of nonmagnetic material and consists of a top shell and a bottom cover plate fastened to the shell by bolts or other similar means.

The armature ii may be fastened by a key or structed from any magnetizable material. The cores, as shown in Figure 2, are disposed end to end and surround the armature with pole pieces I3 to It inclusive of magnetizable material constructed therebetween. The cores may be interlocked with and held in place by the pole pieces which may be bolted to the housing 2!. The electric windings are designated by the refence characters 33 to 38 inclusive, and each are wound in the same direction on the respective cores, thus making them interchangeable and replaceable. A multi-wire cable 25 connects the electric windings 33 to 38 inclusive, to the circult switching means 30, 3i and 32 contained in the switch box 26. Each of the circuit switching means comprise two contact fingers operated simultaneously by a push button. Any other type of switch may be employed, A two way take-up reel 39 may be used to keep the cabl 25 substantially taught at all times. The take-up reel 33 may be of any suitable type or design such for example, as the reel shown in Patent No. 2,052,341.

In explaining the operation of my device and referring particularly to Figure 2, it is noted that when the circuit switching means 30 is closed by the operator in the cabin current flows through the electric windings 33 and 38 and also 35 and 38 On the electromagnetic members l9 and 24 and also 2i and 22. The adjacent ends of the energized electromagnetic members are polarized and thus magnetize the pole pieces l3 and i6 and the regions thereabout with opposite polarity. The pole regions l3 and it, having opposite polarity, attract the opposite ends of the armature ii; The armature l l is rotated until the longitudinal axis of the armature substantially corresponds to a line drawn between the pole regions l3 and IS. The hook, being fastened tothe armature, is thus rotated to the desired position by the operator. This permits the operator to rotate the hook in circular steps. When the hook has been positioned, the circuit switching means may be opened.

Should the operator desire to reposition the hook he may close circuit switching means 3| thus allowing current to flow through the electric windings 33 and 34 and also 36 and 3'! on eectromagnetic members I! and 20 and also 22 and 23. The adjacent ends of the energized electromagnetic members are polarized and thus magnetize the pole pieces, i4 and I! and the pole regions thereabout with opposite polarity and at an angular distance from the pole regions l3 and IS. The pole regions and ILhavingopposite polarity, attract the opposite ends of the armature. This rotates the armature and thus the hook until the longitudinal axis of the armature substantially corresponds to the line drawn between pole regions l4 and ii. For a new position the operator may close circuit switching means 12 thus rotating the armature and the hook until the longitudinal axis of the armature substantially corresponds to a line drawn between pole regions I! and ii. The circuit switching means 32 operates substantially thesameaslfl and ii.

A modification of Figure 2 is shown in Figure 8. In this case electric windings 41 to 52 inclusive are wound on pole pieces 40 to 45 inclusive. annularly spaced inside-of an annular frame. The armature it rotates between the poles. The pole piece may be fastened by bolts or other suitable means to the annular frame 40.

The windings are connected to circuit switching means 53, 54 or 55 and when circuit switching means 59 is closed by the operator the electric windings 47, and iii are energized thus magnetizing pole pieces 40 and I! with opposite polarity to attract the armature and rotate the hook. Further operation is the same as that of the device illustrated and described in Figure 2.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination-and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1 An electromagnetic device for positioning a swivel hook, said electromagnetic device comprising, an armature adapted to be fastened to said hook, a magnetic field comprising a plurality of electric windings disposed end-to-end surrounding the armature with magnetic pole regions located between adjacently disposed ends, and circuit switching means for energizing any two adjacently disposed electromagnetic members to magnetize the pole region therebetween to attract the armature to said magnetized pole region.

2. An electromagnetic device for positioning a swivel hook, said electromagnetic device comprising, an armature adapted to be fastened to said hook, a magnetic field comprising a plurality of annularly spaced electromagnetic members disposed end-to-end and having pole pieces of magnetizable material therebetween and surrounding the armature with magnetic pole regions located at said pole pieces, and circuit switching means for energizing any two adjacently disposed electromagnetic members to magnetize the pole piece therebetween to rotate said hook to said pole piece.

3. An electromagnetic device for holding in position a swivel hook, said electromagnetic device comprising, in combination, an armature adapted to be fastened to said hook, a magnetic field comprising an even number of electromagnetic members spaced annularly about the armature, any two adjacent electromagnetic members forming a pair with each electromagnetic member being composed of magnetic material and an electric winding, and circuit switching means whereby the mean ends of one pair of electromagnetic members are polarized with one pola ity and at the same time the mean ends of a pair directly opposite the first pair are polarized with opposite polarity forming strong magnetic poles of opposite polarity at opposite ends of the armature for holding in position said hook.

4. An electromagnet positioning device adapted to be suspended by cable means from a crane, said device comprising. in combination, a swivel hook, support means for pivotably supporting said swivel hook, means for fastening said support means to said cable means, an armature fastened to said swivel hack, a magnetic field comprising a plurality of electric windings disposed end-to-end surrounding the armature with pole regions located between adiacently disposed ends, said support means, supporting said magnetic field, conducting means for connecting said electric windings to a source of electrical energy, and switch means for energizing any two adjacently disposed electric windings to establish a pole region therebetween for attracting and thus positioning the said swivel hook.

5. An electromagnet positioning device adapted to be suspended by cable means from a crane, said device comprising. in combination,

a swivel hook. support means for pivotably supporting said swivel hook. means for fastening said support means to said cable means, an armature fastened to said swivel book, a magnetic field comprising a plurality of annularly spaced electromagnetic members disposed end-to-end and having pole pieces of magnetizable material therebetween, said support means supporting said magnetic field about the said armature, said magnetic field establishing pole regions at said -pole pieces, conducting means for connecting said electromagnetic members to a source of electrical energy, and circuit switching means for energizing any two adjacently disposed electromagnetic members to magnetize the pole piece there supported about said armature by said support.

means, said magnetic field comprising an even number of electromagnetic members spaced annularly about the armature, any two adjacent electromagnetic members forming a pair, connection means for connecting said electromagnetic members to a source of electrical energy, and circuit switching means whereby the mean ends of one pair of electromagnetic members are polarized with one polarity and at the same time the mean ends of a pair directly opposite the first pair are polarized with opposite polarity forming strong magnetic poles of opposite polarity at opposite ends of the armature for holding in position said hook.

, HERBERT W. KELLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,577,283 Mitchell Mar. 16, 1926 1,756,823 Harris Apr. 29, 1930 2,127,265 Martin Aug. 16, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 272,574, Great Britain June 7, 1927 

